Stage Two
by Hailfax-McGee
Summary: Tim's now in custody, but Zack and Cody are in even more danger now than they ever were before. There will be new characters, new dangers, and even new romance. Please read and review. Sequel to 'It Ain't So Suite Without You Here'. Description inside.
1. Description

Hey guys this is the sequel to 'It Ain't So Suite Without You Here'. This one's titled 'Stage Two'. If you haven't read 'It Ain't So Suite Without You Here' do that before you read this (obviously).

Keep in mind that while this story is rated T, it is a strong T (T+). There will be some content in future chapters that are on the fence of T/M. There will be no depictions of sexual actions in this story.

As you read, please review and tell me how you like or don't like the story and what I can do to change the way I write to make myself better and more enjoyable to read.

_The extended description…_

With Tim in custody, Zack and Cody can finally live their lives in peace. Life at the Tipton resumes and soon they're back in school. They have no idea how much danger they're in, though. There will be more blood, sweat, and tears as they struggle this time to stay alive. How long will it be before their life is flipped upside down again, and how can they possibly have a happy ending?

Thank you,  
~Hailfax McGee


	2. New Beginnings Part II

Chapter 1 – New Beginnings Part II

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

Things were truly looking up. Cody could have even dared to say they were returning to normal. The twins shared their old suite at the Tipton. They went back to hanging out with their old friends. Even school was right around the corner. Maybe with all these new distractions Cody could forget about the pain that he'd been put through. There was still that ever-present reminder though. Every time he looked at Zack he couldn't help but be reminded of Tim's mood-swinging ways, or the lingering touches of his pats on the back. It would never go away, but maybe if they tried they could push it into the farthest corners of their minds.

In an effort to do so the name had become taboo of sorts. Ever since Tim had been taken into custody the twins had referred to him as "Him" or "You Know Who". And even those substitute names were used sparingly. It was rare that they delved into conversation that would warrant bringing up their past situation. They tried to steer clear of that road as much as possible. And it was having positive effects on their mental and physical health.

Zack resumed running, and even Cody sometimes joined him. They resumed smiling at funny things, however small. They frequently found themselves sharing a good laugh while watching their favorite movies or TV shows.

Still, there was no denying it. Zack was different. Gone was the Zack Martin that flirted hopelessly with every girl who walked by. Gone was the Zack Martin who used any excuse possibly to play video games. Gone was the Zack Martin who put down and made fun of his brother. There was a new Zack in town.

Cody sometimes found himself missing the old Zack. He constantly expected the old Zack to return any day, but in the back of his mind he knew it would never happen. Still, Cody hadn't complained once. His brother's new personality, however quiet and reserved, was a fresh new start to the rest of their lives.

Zack had also observed Cody change. Cody had become rather protective of Zack. There was an obvious mutual platonic bond between the two. Both knew that the other would go to extremes to protect them from anything and both knew that they would do the same.

Despite things somehow returning to what they once had been there was still an obvious missing ingredient. Carey was still gone. Both Zack and Cody preferred Cody's cooking to the bland foods their mother would prepare but there was no replacing her witty humor and quick-tempered sarcasm.

Needless to say, they were excited to receive a call that announced that Carey's discharge would be coming sooner rather than later. The staff at the hospital had been impressed by her willingness to share her problems and her motivation to fight them and get better. Never had they seen somebody so willing to better themselves and when she was asked why, Carey responded with, "It's the least I can do for my boys."

The following Saturday the twins found themselves showered and dressed in presentable clothes as they would be taking the state-appointed lawyer, Kevin Johnson, to meet their mother and discuss her relationship with her half brother. It would also mark the first time she'd be hearing about any of this as it had been deemed wiser to keep her in the dark in regards to her progress.

It was just past noon when Zack and Cody arrived to meet Kevin at the hospital. They entered and met with Rosy, the desk person.

"Good day, Zack, Cody. How are you?"

Zack grunted his reply while Cody answered, "We're fine."

Kevin spoke up, "Excuse me," he looked to her name tag, "Rosy. I'm representing these two in a legal case and I need to speak with Ms. Carey Martin in a private room."

She chewed her gum furiously as she typed a few things into the computer, "What legal case?"

He laughed, "I'm sure you understand when I say I can't reveal that information."

She nodded and picked up the phone. After a short call with somebody of higher status she guided them into a private conference room, usually used for staff meetings. She then dispatched the nurses to retrieve Carey, who was being awarded a little more freedom.

It wasn't long before Carey was brought in. She characteristically lit up when she saw her boys and the smile soon faded when she spotted the mysterious man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.

Upon eye contact he stood and extended a hand. With a friendly smile he said, "Hello Ms. Martin. I'm Kevin Johnson. I'm a lawyer working for the state."

All light evacuated her face, "Oh god, what trouble are they in now?"

Kevin opened his mouth meaning to reassure her that nothing was wrong but he couldn't seem to find the words.

Instead, Cody took the reins, "We're not in trouble, but Mom, you might want to sit down."

She took her seat and crossed one leg over another, awaiting further explanation.

"Ms. Martin, how would you describe your relationship with your half-brother, Tim?"

"Well, I… wait a minute. What does this have to do with anything?"

Kevin turned to Zack, "Zack would you like to explain or would you rather I do it."

Zack took a deep breath knowing he had to be strong and face his darkest secret, but for some reason he couldn't bear to break the news to his own, innocent mother. "I can't."

Kevin nodded, "It's okay, Zack. If you need to take a quick walk that's fine too."

Zack shook his head and kept his eyes planted on the table in front of him.

Kevin took a breath of his own before continuing. "Ms. Martin, a few weeks ago the police were contacted by your son Cody. He stated that while staying at Tim Martin's residence his brother, your other son, Zack, had been," he paused searching for the proper, yet gentle words, "sexually compromised."

Zack pressed his teeth together until it hurt, "He means raped, Mom."

Her eyes grew dark, "I don't understand. Tim," tears began forming, "Tim raped you Zack?"

Zack dared eye contact and soon found it too hard to stare into his mother's teary eyes. He nodded, "Twice."

"No. He couldn't have. Oh, Zack. I don't know what to… I mean, this is just so…"

Kevin reached across the table to touch her shoulder comfortingly, "Ms. Martin, I understand this is a lot to take in. I understand this is surprising and devastating at the same time. But Tim is under police custody until his trial, which you may attend if you wish. Either way, I need to know how you would describe your relationship with him."

Carey nodded, soothed by Kevin's touch, and noticing his sense of urgency. "Well when we were growing up we weren't all that close. When I had Zack and Cody we were finally getting a little closer but I had to take care of them and I had a job and our relationship fell apart again. He stayed in contact and was constantly interested in," she paused as she understood the meaning of what was about to leave her mouth, "he was constantly interested in Zack and Cody. He'd always buy them gifts and never asked for anything in return except for pictures."

Kevin jotted notes on every word she said. Then, he stood and extended a hand, "Okay. That's all I need. Thank you for your time, Ms. Martin."

She rose to his level and shook his hand, "Please, call me Carey. And if there's anything else I can do, just let me know."

He smiled, "Will do." Then, he walked out of the room leaving the Martins to themselves.

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There's the first chapter. More will come hopefully as often as the last story. I've been sidetracked by writing oneshots, which you will see come up on my profile as I finish them and decide if I want to include certain content. I'll utilize this free advertising space to refer you to my first oneshot 'Nervous'. My second one will be coming out soon, titled 'King Cody, The Wicked'. It's actually going to be a songfic based off of 'Jeremy' by Pearl Jam, I'm sure any people that know of the song already know what it's about...

Also, I'll tell you to keep a lookout for more chapters to this story. I'm going to try to crank this one out because I've got some new ideas and I'm eager to write some not-so-depressing stories!

Also, thank you to everybody who has subscribed to my stories and to me as a writer. Thank you to those who have favorited my stories and me as a writer. And thank you for those who have reviewed to my stories. And a super thanks to anyone that fits all three catagories. You guys rock!


	3. New Beginnings Part III

Chapter 2 – New Beginnings Part III

Big thanks to everyone who's staying with me, reading this story. It's nice to be able to write for people and know people like it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

As soon as the door closed Carey moved with surprising speed to envelop Zack in a hug. Her eyes were like faucets as she constantly whispered reassuring things in his ear.

Zack smiled at first, knowing his mother was just trying to console him, but really it was just reminding him of the worst time of his life. It didn't take long for the guilt, pain, and fear to prove too fearsome an adversary, and he shrugged her off. That, and he could hardly breathe.

"It's fine, Mom. It was in the past."

Her tears still flowed out of her uncontrollably, "No it's not fine, Zack. It's not. I wasn't there for you and I should have been. I knew he was bipolar. He's been ever since we were kids. I didn't think he'd… Oh, Zack. I'm so sorry."

Zack was beginning to get annoyed, "Mom, stop. Nothing you say can change what happened."

Cody spoke up, hoping to offer reassurance, "Mom, Zack's right. What's done is done. It's horrible and none of it wish it happened but we need to just move on instead of bring it up okay?"

Cody's words didn't seem to reach her, "Once, I get out of this place I'm going to find him and choke the life out of his sorry ass. Nobody messes with my babies!"

Zack almost let out a laugh but decided it would probably serve to anger his mother even more. "Mom, he's going to prison. I don't think you'll be able to get your hands on him."

Cody nodded, eyebrows raised. He knew his mother was following the classic seven-step grieving process. She had already denied it, if only briefly. Then came the shock. Now she was angry. Cody recognized that he had never seen somebody progress this quickly through the list. It didn't take long for him to recall that depression was next. That was exactly what she didn't need: more depression.

Carey nodded once, knowing she couldn't win an argument against her two surprisingly stubborn sons. Sometimes they were so like their father. Instead she chose to change the subject, "So have you been staying at the Tipton?"

Zack nodded and Cody followed suit. They were both thankful that the conversation was moving in a different direction but it was still painfully obvious that the subject was still on everybody's mind.

"Good, good."

An awkward silence filled the room, threatening to send everyone back into the painful topic they wanted nothing to do with. It manifested itself in the room, a true elephant, until Cody managed to fill the void.

"So, any idea when you're getting out?"

Carey sighed aware that if that question were taken out of context it may as well have been for a prison sentence. "They tell me sooner than later. I guess I've shown one of the fastest recoveries they've ever seen. You know I feel like crap for doing what I did."

Zack looked her dead in the eye, "Good. You deserve that much. I'm sorry, Mom. I love you, but what you did was the most selfish, stupid, and irresponsible thing you could have ever done."

She hung her head low, knowing every syllable of every word had been true. "I know, and now I can't help but think that if I hadn't done it you wouldn't have been," she paused to brace herself for the word, "raped by Tim."

Again, Zack nodded, being brutally honest. "You're right. It probably wouldn't have."

Cody touched his shoulder, an unspoken, "Calm down, Zack."

He stood, obviously dismissing himself from the not-so-touching family meeting.

Both Carey and Cody took the memo and walked to the door with him. The visit had gone as well as expected. Maybe it had even gone better than that, but it hadn't been a care-free, light-hearted one. Carey could have broken down into uncontrollable sobs. She could have tried to kill herself right then and there. But instead, she took it like… like she almost expected it. The thought threw both Zack and Cody off a little, but they decided to shrug it off.

Back at the Tipton both brothers sat down for a much needed talk. After realizing they couldn't ignore the elephant in the room anymore they knew they had to address their problems. Cody knew that Zack had been scarred permanently and would never truly be the same. With a heavy heart he was starting to accept the fact that maybe his brother should go to a counselor. The last thing Cody needed was Zack falling into a depression.

"Zack, is there anything you want to talk about?"

Zack kept his eyes glued to the floor, "Cody, why did this happen to us? What did we do wrong?"

Cody shook his head, wary that his brother seemed to have lost all confidence he once had. "I don't know, Zack. I don't think we'll ever know. I do think that maybe you should talk to someone about what happened though. You know, open up. Maybe talk to a counselor?"

Zack clenched a fist, "I'm not going to a fucking shrink! There's nothing wrong with me!"

Cody threw his hands up, an offering of peace, "Hey, I'm not telling you to do anything. If you don't want to, don't. I'm just worried about you. I just want you to talk to me about something."

Zack gave a fake smile, "How about we talk about the future? We can talk about how we're going to move on. Start school soon, find some girls, live our lives."

Cody went to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of root beer. He tossed one to Zack, knowing he'd catch it without fail. "You're right. You're absolutely right, Zack." Cody twisted the cap off, "To our futures."

Zack nodded and opened his own, "To a new beginning."

Their bottles clanked happily and Cody took a gulp, while Zack slammed his like an alcoholic-in-training.

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On to the next chapter... I've got the next one written already so it'll be up momentarily.


	4. Sitrep

Chapter 3 – Sitrep

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

"Johnson, what've you got for me?" A man, face darkened in shadows, sat in a chair facing out into the nightlife of Boston.

A smaller man handed him a folder, "They're at the Tipton. They've gone back to their old suite. It's number 2330. I'm acting as the elevator man there, it's easy to keep tabs on them and watch when they go out. Their usual schedules for each week are in there."

The man nodded slowly, "Good work, Johnson. How did you get the job?"

Johnson gave a crooked smile, "Let's just say the old elevator man had an unfortunate accident."

The man nodded once, acknowledging his man's comment. He didn't necessarily agree with killing the old elevator man. They weren't murderers. Yet, anyway. They only had two targets; they weren't instructed to go around killing at free will. He pushed it away, not caring. Nobody would miss the old man; from his understanding he wasn't the best-smelling anyway.

"Meyers, sitrep."

A third man emerged from the shadows of the room. "I've got the job at the school. I'm working on rigging the homerooms so that I'll have both of them. It should be no problem."

The shadowy man smiled, "Good. Now, I happen to be extremely hungry. If you two would go out and get some pizza, maybe a slice of pie too? That'd be fantastic."

The two other men exchanged an exasperated look and walked out the door.


	5. My Best Friend, Fear

Chapter 4 – My Best Friend, Fear

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

_Zack felt the sweat run down his forehead and his face. It stung his eyes, it salted his mouth, and it dripped off his chin. His shirt clung to his body with sweat. His forearms and hands were caked in mud from digging. The dirt he excavated mixed with the sweat pouring off his body and made digging that much harder._

_The dirt was packed under his nails so tightly that they bled. It felt as if they were slowly being ripped off. But he continued digging. He had to or else he would die._

_Zack didn't know why he was being punished so. He didn't understand why the man who had introduced himself as Miles. For some sick reason Miles had pointed a gun to his head and told him to dig a hole so he could learn his lesson. Zack didn't know what lesson he had to learn, but he knew, as his hands were cramping and bleeding from the digging, that he wasn't learning anything._

_Zack dug. He dug until his muscles burned. He dug until his bones ached. He dug until he couldn't see through the tears and he dug until he could hardly breathe._

_Panting, he climbed his way out of the hole, that was now about six feet deep and three feet in diameter. "Please, can I stop? I've learned my lesson. Please, I just-"_

_Zack was silenced by a flash of a hand that came in contact with his face. He could feel a bead of blood flowing from the fresh cut dealt by the man's ring._

_With a small yelp he was pushed back into the hole and violently instructed to resume digging._

_The worst part of being stuck in the hole wasn't the fact that his hands were bleeding and he hurt all over. It wasn't that he couldn't help but wonder if he was digging his own grave. The worst part was that he was stuck in his head, isolated, left to his vicious and hungry thoughts._

_Like fearsome animals they prowled the most private spaces of his mind and his memory. They clawed, bit, and slashed at every tangible thing until everything was destroyed. They seemed to target his happy memories first. He could feel each one succumb to an attack and fall into the void of the forgotten. As each happy memory was searched for, singled out, and lacerated beyond recognition Zack withdrew further and further into the darker memories. He could feel himself backing into the darkness, the fear._

_The creatures continued until no happy memories remained and until Zack was a prisoner in his own mind, now filled only with his greatest fears._

_Around every corner was Tim's face. Around every turn was his voice. Every time he looked up he felt Tim's cold hands. Every time he looked down he felt Tim's rough lips. It was sickening. He would have vomited, but he had nothing in his stomach._

_Zack closed his eyes, hoping to escape the constant reminders of the worst times of his life but instead of blackness he saw Cody's face, stained with tears, crying. And that was worse than anything else that would assault him._

_Just when the pressure he was feeling was on the verge of crushing him, just when he thought he couldn't take any more suffering, it went away and he heard a real voice this time._

"_Get your ass up here."_

_Zack obeyed the grunted comment and climbed his way out of the hole. He stood, cowering, in front of the smiling man before him._

"_Have you learned your lesson?"_

_Zack nodded, earnestly, hoping for it all to go away._

_Instead he was met with another ring-sharpened backhand. "You're lying. There is no lesson to learn here. There is just suffering for you. That's all you will ever have. Pain and suffering." He pulled the gun from an unseen location and shot him twice in the stomach._

_The pain was nonexistent for a second. It wasn't until Zack registered that he had, in fact, been shot that he felt the searing, burning, freezing, and electrocuting pain. He could feel the blood pouring out of the holes. He could feel his life, his energy being slowly drained._

_Zack back away from the man, fear the only thing present on his face. He stumbled further and further away until he fell back into the hole. _

_Upon impact he felt an ankle break and a knee pop of out their joints and he screamed in pain._

_Then something else hit him in the chest. And again. And again. He opened his eyes to see Miles, shovel in hand, filling the hole with the dirt Zack had dug out. He was being buried alive._

_As Zack sat there, bones and joints broken, bleeding from two bullet holes, he knew he was dying and he knew there was no hope of getting through this._

_He half stood, half sat in his hole, suffocating from the dirt now piling over his nose and mouth and wondered what he would die from first, the two bullets lodged in his stomach or the lack of oxygen. With a sick, twisted laugh he thought to himself that the suspense was killing him._

I think over, again, my small adventure, my fears, _Zack thought to himself in his last moments of life, _these small ones that seemed so big. For all the vital things I had to get and to reach. And yet there is only one great thing, the only thing. To live to see the great day that dawns and the light that fills the world.

_Once, in a place that wasn't where he was now, Zack knew he had always thought that quotation from an Inuit song was beautiful. He had always thought that maybe his purpose, everybody's purpose, was to find that light. To live to see the great day that dawns._

_With his last dying breath he laughed, _There is no light. There is only fear.

* * *

Just keep reading, it will all make sense in a few chapters if you're confused at all.


	6. My Best Friend, Hate

Chapter 5 – My Best Friend, Hate

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

_Zack took a step towards the cowering boy in front of him. He scrunched his face up in confusion. The boy in front of him was… him. The boy in front of him was Zack Martin._

_Zack didn't know how it was possible but something in the back of his head, a sense of importance and urgency, made him take another step forward._

_Something didn't feel right. His legs were longer, and heavier. Zack looked down at himself, holding his arms and hands out in full view. This wasn't his body at all. This wasn't him._

_He opened his mouth to speak, "Zackey, you're uncle Tim wants me to deliver a message to you."_

_That wasn't his voice, and he hadn't chosen those words. Zack then realized that he wasn't the one walking, he was simply existing in this stranger's head, feeling what he felt and seeing what he saw. It was intriguing, it was enlightening, it was depressing._

_Zack could tell the man whose body he was possessing was angry. His heart was cast in hate, his mind clouded in rage. Underneath the murky water, underneath the veil of anger he knew this man had one intention. He was going to kill Zack Martin._

_The smallish boy, shrunk further into himself, "Please, don't. I'm sorry. I'll… I didn't mean to tell anyone."_

_Zack felt himself speak once more, "Too late."_

_It was a different feeling, that's for sure. Zack felt as if the man's body was his own, yet the man was moving it of his own accord. It was like Zack was being forced to speak and to move in certain ways and that was terrifying._

_For once Zack realized the scariest enemy is one you can't fight. For once, Zack realized what his brother must have felt not saying anything while Zack had been dishonored by Tim. Whether or not you're a fighter, regardless of if you're a peace lover, when the time comes you'll fight. There's escaping it, in everybody's life they will have to fight for something they believe in, but when faced with something you desperately want gone or dead and you can't fight it, everything is changed. The rules bend. Normal laws don't apply._

_Zack raised his hand and punched the boy in front of him. To his surprise not only his hand, but his face hurt. Zack may as well have punched himself in the face, and to some effect he had._

_The beatings continued. There were punches, kicks, and slaps. The beatings continued until Zack couldn't tell if he was the man doing the beating or if he was the boy being beaten. There was only one thing for sure, the more he tried to fight off the sense of confusion the more it took him over. And along with the confusion came the realization that it didn't matter who he was anymore because the man's hate had infiltrated his mind._

_Zack was surprised when he finally let the hate overtake him. He finally let himself become the manifestation of the hate. He was surprised to find an emotion so pure, so similar to love and desire. Maybe hate was an unrecognized, underrated emotion. Zack realized hate had been given a bad connotation._

_Zack realized that no matter who he was, or who he could have been, that he would hate something or someone. He knew that it was inevitable and the people who fought not to hate were the ones that were weak. Fighting for a lost cause may be honorable some times, but other times it was plain stupid, a waste of energy. And he knew his newfound discoveries to be true. Zack did hate. He hated certain people, he hated certain things and he would never again let anybody tell him differently. Never again would he let somebody tell him not to hate._

_Zack knew he needed it to survive, just like any other emotion._

_As soon as he experienced that one moment of realization he opened his eyes, not realizing they had been closed and found himself standing in the same room he had been in previously._

_He looked down at his body and found that he was himself. He could move and speak as he wanted now, but he still felt different. He still felt a burning sensation in his heart and his mind, urging him foreword._

_In one final revelation Zack realized that all along he had been by himself. He had no bruised on his face or body. He had no split knuckles. He had not been beaten and he hadn't beaten anybody._

_Confused, he understood that somehow he had awoken a part of him, previously dormant. He understood that somebody or something had made him realize there was another side to the story. There was a good and an evil, separated by the thinnest line imaginable._

_Zack now understood that line had a name. Its name was perception._

* * *

If this chapter was confusing to read, good. Imagine how Zack felt. All will be made clear in due time. For now, just await my next update which, sadly, probably wont be until late tonight.


	7. Just A Sick Joke

Chapter 6 – Just A Sick Joke

Here's another chapter... it's a little shorter and I personally don't think it's the best but it's necessary to move the story along.

I'd like to extend a thank you (yes, again) to everybody that has reviewed, favorited, and even put this story on alert, especially tiger002 for being with me from the start.

If anyone wants to read a sad oneshot by me hit up my profile and look for 'King Cody, the Wicked'. It's got a bit of language and violence but it's not too bad. It's a songfic to 'Jeremy' by Pearl Jam. Please review if you read it (again, thank you tiger002).

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

Hope. Zack had finally come to terms with how stupid a word it was. It wasn't stupid because it was meaningless. It was stupid for exactly the opposite reason. It was too meaningful. It was so meaningful that it instilled a false sense of… hope. It was a word with a circular meaning. It was a sick joke.

What was hope exactly? The past two nights he had, he past two nightmares he had suffered through had only served to muddle things up even more. Maybe hope could be defined as belief or faith. If you have hope in somebody pulling through a great tragedy you believe they will. But Zack knew it wasn't really the same thing.

Maybe if you had hope it was like wanting to succeed. That was a much better description of such an overused, borderline cliché word. Hope. Zack knew he'd never find somebody that would give want or desire as synonyms but Zack knew there weren't many people in the world who had suffered through what he had.

It was greedy, desire. For all his life Zack knew it was wrong to want so much. It was wrong to want the world when there were those who not only wanted simple things, but needed them and couldn't have them. Was it greedy to have hope? Was it greedy to want a better life for himself?

In the end, Zack determined that it wasn't greedy for him to want a better life, but he also realized he was being greedy in a different way. In keeping Cody in the dark regarding the note Zack was denying the truth. Zack was being selfish for not letting Cody know that they were in danger. He knew that, at any moment, Cody could be harmed because he wasn't watching out and it would be on his hands. Zack couldn't have that. He knew he felt better knowing his brother was without worry, but the knowledge that Cody was in more danger far outweighed that small sense of security. Zack had to tell him the truth.

The past two nights had been rather… sleepless for Cody. He had spent the majority of both nights holding Zack while he cried. Zack had suffered from nightmares both nights. The first night he hadn't wanted to talk about it. But now, the second night, he was willing to talk.

"So what's wrong Zack?"

Through tears, he produced a piece of paper from his pillowcase. "I found this in my car the day Tim was taken away." Zack handed it to Cody.

Cody read the note and felt his own heart sink. He wouldn't break down in tears; he had to be stronger than that. He, instead, found himself looking to check if the curtains were drawn. "Why didn't you show me this before?"

Zack convulsed in more tears, "Because I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want you to have to constantly worry about you and me."

Cody nodded, suddenly feeling like a parent scolding a child. "Go back to sleep, Zack."

"Are you mad at me Cody?"

"Zack, what if I got taken or killed because I wasn't watching my back, huh? Ever think of that?" Cody hadn't meant for his voice to suddenly rise to almost a shout, but he couldn't help it. Out of fear of being harmed and fear of being taken away from his brother he couldn't help but let his anger take control.

"Of course I thought of that, Cody!" Zack could feel himself beginning to get defensive. That small part of himself that he had discovered after his latest nightmare was burning with a vengeance. "You ever take the time to wonder why I haven't been letting you out of my sight? Stop being so fucking judgmental and be thankful you haven't been sleeping with a note telling you that someone's looking for you and planning on killing you."

Cody threw his arms out, "So this is my fault now? I haven't been sleeping at all, Zack. I've been holding you, telling you everything's going to be alright and this whole time you've known it's not alright."

"Just turn this back around on me, Cody." Zack felt his self-control ebbing away, and then he finally lost it, "Real mature. Everything is my fucking fault! Sorry for letting you be happy for once!"

Cody put his hand on his brother's shoulder, "Zack-"

Zack pushed Cody away violently, nearly off the bed, "Get the fuck away from me!"

Cody felt tears burn his eyes but he'd be damned if this was the thing that made him cry. If Zack wanted to be a jerk, Cody wouldn't stop him. If Zack wanted to push him away, Cody would let him. Somehow Cody knew that no matter how isolated Zack let himself become eventually he'd come crawling back, and somehow Cody knew that Zack was only acting the way he was because of what he had gone through recently.

Cody didn't know if he forgave him, but he didn't know if he needed to forgive him.

* * *

How will they recover from this fight the next morning? Read the next chapter to find out.


	8. No, We're Not Safe

Chapter 7 – No, We're Not Safe

Hey there ladies and gents. Here's chapter 7 of 'Stage Two'. I'll be out of town for a couple days pretty soon so this may be the last update until maybe sometime mid-week.

A small notice... from here on out the language will pick up ever so slightly. You'll see. If I offend you by doing this and using these words in my stories I apologize but I'm not going to stop.

Further ramblings... Hey, I know you missed hearing about my various ramblings. Anyway, I've discovered a new obsession. I can't stop eating sunflower seeds. It's like now I always have to be doing something with my mouth and "eating seeds is a pastime activity." - System Of A Down, 'Toxicity' Anyway, for some reason it's extremely difficult for me to let this story flow out of my imagination and notes, type, and eat seeds at the same time. I guess I'll just have to practice! I know you all care about this so much, right? ... Right?

"Alors on sort pour oublier tous les problems. (So we party to forget the problems.)" - Stromae, 'Alors On Danse'

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

The morning after wasn't any better for either Zack or Cody. After their fight the previous night they had both bitterly went back to sleep knowing they were right and wishing the other could just realize what's best for the two of them.

Zack just wanted Cody to leave him alone and stop being so interrogative and invading. He knew Cody was just concerned about both of their well-being, but sometimes he just went too far. Cody was always the one to overreact, even about the smallest things. Zack wished he could just have some time alone.

Cody was hurt. He wasn't physically ailed but mentally, he was hurt. When Zack had nearly pushed him off of the bed something had snapped between them. It wasn't that Zack tried to push him away; he had done that countless times in their childhood. It was because of the violent way he did it, and because of the feral look in his eyes. Something about that look made Cody feel cold. It was like there was a different person inside his brother, and Zack was nowhere to be found. In that one moment Cody had been alone, he had been brother-less.

They had both awoken at much the same time. They were enjoying their last couple of days before school finally started so instead of a blaring alarm clock, it was the rays of the sun that woke them.

Zack grunted a good morning as he stepped out of the bathroom from his shower.

Cody, already getting dressed for the day, made an effort to share an eye contact with Zack, but when he got none he felt rejected. "Good morning. Are you feeling better?"

Zack took his time in getting dressed before replying, "I wasn't feeling bad before."

"Zack, don't lie to me. Just tell me what's wrong, please?" Cody took a cautious step towards Zack, not wanting to anger him any more than he was.

"Nothing's wrong, Cody! Why won't you just believe me when I tell you? Everything is just fucking peachy keen, okay?"

Cody was fed up. If he couldn't coax the truth out of Zack, he'd have to drag it out. "No, Zack. Things aren't fucking peachy keen. We've been through hell, but you got the worst of it. I'm just sitting here watching you change before my eyes. One minute you were just happy, confident Zack. Then mom's thing happened and you got upset, I don't blame you. I was too. Then the Tim thing happened and you started getting quiet. You started getting scared. You lost all of your confidence. You don't think I see it, but I see how you look at every stranger, like they're about to-"

Zack covered the short distance between them with record speed, "Shut the hell up, Cody. This isn't about me! This is about us? Somebody's looking for us and all you want to talk about is how you're feeling sorry for me?"

"I'm not feeling sorry for you."

Zack gave his brother a slight push, "Fuck off, Cody."

Cody returned the slight push, with a huge shove, "No, Zack. I'm not going to fuck off. You have no idea what it's like having your brother, the same brother that used to protect you from bullies, cry in your arms the whole night. I just want to help you."

"I don't need help." Zack recovered from his slight stumble and brushed past Cody to enter the living room.

Cody wouldn't let him get away that easily. He ran past him and confronted him head on once more, "You do, Zack. You need help, and I'm one of the few people who can give it to you. I want to help you so badly but I can't unless you let me. I understand you're afraid-"

Zack's chest was burning with passion and rage. Why couldn't Cody just leave him alone and understand that he wasn't scared and that he didn't need help? "I'm not afraid, Cody! I don't need help!"

Cody continued his plea. He so badly wanted his brother back. He didn't know who this person was, but it wasn't Zack. Even his mannerisms were different. Normally when Zack was upset and scared he touched his face a lot and never made eye contact. This wasn't Zack, not even close. "Please. Just talk to somebody. Just once, that's all I'm asking. Just talk to a counselor once then I'll leave you alone."

_Is that what this is about, Cody? You think I have some kind of disease now? Just because I was raped, now I'm some kind of fucking cast out that needs a shrink? _"Fuck off."

Cody took yet another new approach. "You think that people are looking for us, Zack? You must be more naïve than everyone thought. Zack we're in the only place we can go. They're not looking for us, Zack. They're watching us."

Zack paused for a moment. He had thought about it and he had hoped and prayed that Cody hadn't, but he should have known better. "You think so?"

Cody saw right through his game, "Yeah, Zack. So do you, that's why you're so scared and upset. I know I am. We're not safe here, Zack." Maybe if coaxing didn't work, and dragging didn't work, maybe he could scare the truth out of his brother. It was low. It was cruel, but the only way Zack could return to his normal self was if he acknowledged the fact that he needed help.

"I see what you're trying to do, Cody. I'm not walking in to any more of your traps. Stop trying to manipulate me and feed me my own thoughts. It's not going to work this time." Zack grabbed his car keys from a hook near the door, "I'm going out." He tried to leave but a pair of surprisingly strong hands stopped him.

Cody struggled to hold his brother back. "No, Zack," He knew Zack was stronger than him but Cody also knew he could be strong enough when he needed to be, "You're staying right here."

Zack spun around, "Let go of me!" He started resisting against Cody's grip.

"Stop fighting Zack. Just listen to me. Let me help you." Cody was beginning to lose his hold.

"Get the fuck off me Cody!"

Zack pushed Cody away as hard as he could, sending his brother stumbling backwards across the room. He fell backwards over the table and landed on his back. His head hit the floor once and bounced like a playground ball.

Cody looked up at his brother, who he loved more than anything. Tears were flowing from his eyes and his vision was getting more and more blurry, distorting the image of a distorted Zack. His back hurt from where he landed and his head hurt even more. But what hurt the most was his feelings, specifically his sense of belonging.

Zack looked back at him with a few tears of his own before closing the door behind him and heading down to the parking lot.

* * *

And now Zack's starting to change it seems. I wonder where this is going? Is Cody hurt at all? What will Zack do? Where will he go? As they are separated will something bad happen to one of the twins?

I thought I'd leave you with some questions because it makes it more exciting, plus I wont be updating for awhile so you'll have plenty of time to ponder these!


	9. Repercussions

Hey all, I'm back with some new chapters for Stage Two. I had a bit of a battle with a serious case of writer's block (as well as being distracted by my new story 'Dreamer' which is going to be awesome). This chapter is dedicated to tiger002 who was awesome enough to help me improve this chapter.

Please visit tiger002's profile and read his stories. He's a great author and a great guy.

_Tiger, my most humble thanks._

Chapter 8 – Repercussions

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

Cody's eyes flickered open, trying to get his bearings. He was laying down, but he sure wasn't on his bed. Looking around the room, he saw he was in the living room, sprawled out on the middle of the floor. The last thing he remembered was hitting his head on the floor, a jolt of pain, looking at his brother through his tears, then… blackness. He struggled to get to his feet, despite his extreme dizziness and checked the clock. It was just past ten. He hadn't been out long, no more than ten minutes.

Suddenly, as the flood of memories came rushing back to him, he felt the tears pouring their way down his cheeks. He didn't know why he had started crying. It seemed like he had done so much of that for such meaningless things and so little of it for their latest tragedies. While he was confronting Zack, his heart had been shattered, even so, he rarely cried. Now though, he couldn't hold back the tears. It seemed so pointless for him to waste his tears on something this small.

_Was it small though?_

Zack had hurt Cody physically. Cody didn't know if it was Zack's intention to push him over, but from the force that he used he could only assume. Zack had meant to hurt Cody. Maybe he hadn't meant to knock him unconscious, but regardless of intent, he was still guilty of the crime.

_Surely, Zack would never try to hurt me._

Cody knew he was still in denial. Zack had tried to hurt him and that was that, no matter how he tried rationalizing it. He had pushed him over and walked out the door as if nothing had happened. It wasn't uncommon for them to get in a fight. All siblings did, and they were certainly no exception.

Normally, within a few hours they would be back to normal, forgetting what the fight was even about. Any comments said in anger were instantly forgiven over some video games or a cheesy movie.

This wasn't like other fights.

No, Zack had lashed out and hurt Cody, the younger twin had the headache to prove it. Words were easy to take back, but physical harm was much harder, if not impossible.

As Cody's headache waned his confusion grew. There were too many questions floating around his mind.

_Where did Zack go? What is he going to do? What if he gets taken? Are we really being watched?_

Cody had only meant to say the comment about them being watched to scare Zack, and had obviously succeeded. But, he had also succeeded in scaring himself too. Maybe there had been an element of truthfulness to the comment. Maybe they were being watched. But that left even more questions. Who? When? Where? Why? How?

But Cody knew that he wasn't too worried about what could be. Being the practical thinker he was, he was too concerned with what had taken place. He was still dwelling on Zack hurting him.

_He's never hurt me before. He's always been there to protect me. I don't understand._

But maybe Cody was simply looking too far into it. Maybe he didn't have to understand why he did it. Cody understood that Zack did it and that was enough. There was no turning back time. No amount of apologies, sincere or not, could take back what happened. An unspoken law had been broken, and it could never be mended. And Cody knew that.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, his headache returned. Cody clutched his head as he screamed in pain. Everything started spinning out of control, blending together in a whirlpool of discoloration until it was simply one color, one beautiful, undiscovered color. Then blackness.

* * *

Zack walked out the door of Suite 2330, tears threatening to spill. He hadn't meant to push Cody over. He just wanted Cody to stop grabbing at him, preventing him from walking out the door. He didn't know what got in to him. It just happened.

But he wasn't crying because he had pushed Cody. It was what happened immediately after. The way Cody's head bounced like a ball when it hit the floor made Zack's stomach contort it ways he didn't think possible. Even the memory, replaying mercilessly inside his head, made him cringe. And then, there was something about the look in Cody's eyes. Zack had never seen such pure emotion. It had traumatized him.

Pain. Fear. Confusion. Those were present. And those three alone were more than enough to warrant a torturous feeling of sorrow. But it was the way Cody's eyes had seemingly bore through Zack's very soul that made him tremble. It was as if, for that one instant, Cody had seen everything Zack had seen. He had felt everything Zack had felt. He had heard every thought, every regret, and every single thing that ever crossed his mind. In that one moment Zack had been an open book. Part of him wouldn't have minded it under normal circumstances, but another part of him, that small, new piece that had taken hold within, couldn't tolerate such a piercing gaze.

He wondered through the hallway in a daze and drifted into the elevator where the elevator man greeted him.

"Why, hello there Zack."

Zack paused, suddenly feeling vulnerable, though he couldn't figure out why. He didn't remember ever introducing himself to the new elevator man, but with a shrug he assumed he must have.

"Uh… hi." He pressed his back into the far wall.

The man smiled amiably, but didn't push any buttons. "Where's… the other? What's his name?"

"Cody. His name's Cody. Lobby, please."

The man paused for a moment, a moment too long, before pressing the button.

As the floors slowly disappeared above them, Zack started to tap his foot anxiously. Suddenly the elevator seemed like a horrible place to be alone. It was small. There was only one door in or out, and it could only open whenever the other man dictated. An elevator suddenly seemed curiously similar to a prison cell.

When the doors finally opened, Zack nearly sprinted out. He dug in his pocket to find his car keys, staring back at the elevator man. The closing doors slowly enveloped the man, his plastered-on smile never fading. As Zack's focus was distracted he bumped into a guest, causing them to drop their cell phone and bottle of water.

The woman shouted, but Zack hardly heard. He kept walking, speeding up to almost a run.

"Zack, causing trouble again? I think you should-"

Zack passed Mr. Moseby, eyes still red and puffy from crying. He uttered one simple word that meant more to him than one word ever should, "Cody."

Zack continued out of the hotel, in a trace-like state. He fumbled with his car keys, opened the door, started the engine, and peeled out of the parking lot, not caring that he had no idea where he was going.


	10. Good Bad News

Hey all, this chapter is also dedicated to the one, the only tiger002. Tiger, again thanks for helping me with these chapters. I'm thankful to him receiving these chapters and putting his own magic touch on them to make them better.

Also, on a side note, if anybody has any suggestions as to what I can do to make this chapter and future chapters better. I'm begging you to tell me.

Chapter 9 – Good Bad News

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows.**

Cody twitched in his sleep, trying to identify the bothersome ringing in his ear. Looking down, he realized it must have been his cell phone, feeling the annoying buzzing along with the piercing ring.

He realizing he must have passed out again, though upon waking up this time, he felt better. The memories were still present, but they had started to fade, and no longer were tears threatening to pour out his eyes.

Groggily, he dug in his pocket and retrieved the buzzing, ringing annoyance, mostly just to make it stop.

"H- Hello?"

The answer was relaxed but laced with urgency, "Cody. I've got some bad news."

_Oh, God. Zack._

"It's your," The voice paused as if wanting to chose appropriate words, "It's your uncle. The trial's being pushed up. It's going to be in a few days."

Cody breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't even taken the time to register who it was talking to him because he was waiting for somebody to tell him his brother was in the hospital. Now that he knew Zack was okay – at least for the time being – Cody took the time to realize the voice on the phone matched with that of Kevin Johnson, the state-appointed lawyer who was handing the case.

"And that's bad news how?"

"Cody, I thought the trial was going to be in a few weeks! We have almost no time to prepare! I've got a million things to do. I need you and your brother to go to Arbour Hospital so we can talk to your mother. We need to work on finzlizing statements, go through a stack mile high of legal procedures and many other things I'm sure I've forgotten."

Cody sighed sarcastically, "Well you can tell that to Zack."

Kevin didn't understand, "Well, put him on then."

"No. Zack pushed me over a table, knocking me out cold, and then stormed out of the door."

Keven dismissed Cody's comment with an unseen shrug. With the case coming up, he didn't have any time to care about any personal problems they had. His job was to make sure justice was served, not to play Dr. Phil "Oh, well. We need you two to come as soon as possible. Please. Isn't there any way you can contact him?"

"I've tried his cell, but he's not answering. I'll leave him another message and tell him to meet me there, okay?"

"Do what you have to do."

Cody nodded, as if Kevin could see, "Alright, I'll see you in a few."

"Okay." Kevin hung up without a formal word of goodbye.

Cody got up and grabbed his wallet and keys before heading to the bedroom to take a couple Tylenol for his head. It didn't hurt as bad as before, but he knew the legal proceedings would take their toll on his mind. Without further distractions or complications, slipped his shoes on and headed down to the parking lot where he drove off to meet his mom and overworked lawyer.

In the car Cody attempted to call Zack's cell one more time. There was still no answer.

When prompted by the computer voice, he left a message, "Zack, it's me. I'm not mad at you… well I am, but just listen. Kevin called. The lawyer. The trial's been pushed up to a couple days from now. He needs us to meet him at Arbour as soon as possible. Just please go there when you get this. I'm not in the mood to be calling you for the rest of the day." He paused for a while, "Love you, Zack." Even though he was angry at his brother, righteously so even, he still loved his brother, and wanted to make sure he knew that.

The inside of the meeting room was exactly how he remembered. Bland walls, boring table, furniture probably older than him. The air was the familiar slightly humid and dank. However, unlike the normal sense of gloom that filled the building, Cody heard two laughing voices, seemingly filling the room with a golden light.

When Cody walked in, he was surprised to see his mother and Kevin, engaged in a bout of laughter. They joked and rocked in their seats until their faces were red, oblivious to Cody's presence. There was no mistaking it, from every small touch of the arm to the eye contact, there was an almost regretful attraction. They both knew they had no business being attracted to the other.

Cody cleared his throat to bring attention to his arrival. He took a seat next to them and slumped down into the old upholstery, seeking comfort.

"Didn't get a hold of Zack?"

Cody chose not to answer the question. He didn't understand when people asked questions they already knew the answer too. He could have easily responded with a quick-tempered, sarcastic remark, but that just was something Zack would so. He found that silenced worked just as well.

Kevin sensed Cody's thoughts and cut to the chase, "Right. So the trials been pushed up to Monday. You two will have to miss your first day of school. The point is, we've got two days to finish three weeks of work."

"Well don't expect Zack any time soon. We may as well get started."

* * *

Zack got Cody's message. He got all four of Cody's messages.

The first three had been mostly expressing feelings towards what had happened. Zack found it oddly comical that the first message was considerably more accusing and intolerant than the third. The fourth, however, was interesting.

Zack considered the possibility that Cody was making excuses to see Zack. He thought about not answering and not going, maybe even just going back to the Tipton. But, blame it on twin telepathy, he could feel Cody's annoyance and anxiousness and decided it would be best to drive out to Arbour. He knew Cody was hurt, but it wasn't like him to come up with a blatant lie like that, and if it involved getting rid of Tim for good, he'd do whatever it took.

_What's the worst that could happen?_

When Zack arrived at Arbour he was guided to the meeting room, from which he heard a collection of voices. Easily distinguishable was that of his brother.

He entered the room, not making eye contact with anybody, and took a seat next to Cody. He would have sat on the opposite side of his brother and the two others, but that would mean sitting awkwardly far away from the center of the conversation.

Kevin, the lawyer who held the key to their future, was seated next to his mother. In front of him, multiple folders were laid out containing various papers with messy annotations and illegible notes.

The meeting carried on for the next few hours. Kevin did most of the talking, working with the twins to create their statements that they would present. To Zack, it seemed that there was enough evidence to lock him up. Their well thought out, rehearsed statements were just icing on the cake.

By the end of the meeting they had completed their statements and gone over a few protocol points and the procedure for the trial. Despite the day's work getting done it was plainly obvious to everybody in the room that Zack and Cody were tense around each other.

Brother to brother conversation was limited, only what was needed to add to the case. No jokes or witty puns were shared. There wasn't even a playful slap on the back. Instead they talked sparingly, using only thought-out sentences, hardly making eye contact. Normally Carey would have said something but she decided that they were old enough to work out their problems on their own. That, and they had too much work to do.

Zack and Cody, as well as Kevin, all left at the same time, leaving Carey to be brought back to her room. Thoughts whirled through her head. Her boys had a fight. She knew they had to work things out quickly and maturely if they wanted to have a successful trial. If they continued the way they were they'd make mistakes. Mistakes that Carey didn't know could be fatal to her two sons.

* * *

So this chapter was mostly just a plot-advance chapter. With the trial coming up things'll get interesting. With Zack, Cody, Carey, and Kevin all in the same space will it make them more vulnerable to the mysterious criminals. Next chapter we'll get a closer look at the villains.


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